The "Poor Palatines"

Woodcut from The British Museum:
The Palatines Preparing to Migrate

In order to understand the origin of the Banks Surname, as it pertains to our lineage, it is important to recollect an important page in the history books about the "Poor Palatines."

The German Palatines were natives of the Electoral Palatinate region of Germany, although a few had come to Germany from Switzerland, the Alsace, and probably other parts of Europe. Towards the end of the 17th century and into the 18th, the wealthy region was repeatedly invaded by French troops, which resulted in continuous military requisitions, widespread devastation and famine. The "Poor Palatines" were some 13,000 Germans who came to England between May and November 1709. Their arrival in England, and the inability of the British Government to integrate them, caused a highly politicized debate over the merits of immigration. The English tried to settle them in England, Ireland, and the Colonies. The English transported nearly 3,000 in ten ships to New York in 1710. Many of them first were assigned to work camps along the Hudson River to work off their passage. Close to 850 families settled in the Hudson River Valley, primarily in what are now Germantown and Saugerties, New York.

The first boats packed with refugees began arriving in early May 1709. The first 900 people were given housing, food and supplies by a number of wealthy Englishmen. The immigrants were called “Poor Palatines”: “poor” in reference to their pitiful and impoverished state upon arrival in England, and “Palatines” since many of them came from lands controlled by the Elector Palatine. The majority came from regions outside the Palatinate and, against the wishes of their respective rulers, they fled by the thousands down the Rhine River to the Dutch city of Rotterdam, whence the majority embarked for London. Throughout the summer, ships unloaded thousands of refugees, and almost immediately their numbers overwhelmed the initial attempts to provide for them. By summer, most of the Poor Palatines were settled in Army tents in the fields of Blackheath and Camberwell. A Committee dedicated to coordinating their settlement and dispersal sought ideas for their employment. This proved difficult, as the Poor Palatines were unlike previous migrant groups — skilled, middle-class, religious exiles such as the Huguenots or the Dutch in the 16th century — but were instead mostly unskilled rural laborers, neither sufficiently educated nor healthy enough for most types of employment.

The Palatines introduced themselves in a letter to the "tradesmen of England:

"We the poor Palatines, whose utter ruin was occasioned by the merciless cruelty of a bloody enemy – the French – whose prevailing power some years past like a torrent rushed into our country and overwhelmed us at once…and inhumanly burnt our houses to the ground whereby being deprived of all shelter we were turned into the open fields, there with our families to seek what shelter we could find, were obliged to make the Earth our repository for rest and the Clouds was our canopy or covering.

We magnify the goodness of our Great God, who heard our prayers and in his good time disposed the hearts of Good and Pious Princes to a Christian compassion and charity towards us in this deplorable state…we and our children have been preserved from perishing with hunger, but especially since our arrival into this land of Canaan, abounding with all things necessary and convenient for humane life. Blessed land governed by the mother of Europe and the the best of Queens…[who] from afar has gathered strangers and despicable creatures ( as a hen her chickens under her wings ) scattered abroad destitute, hungry, naked and in want of everything necessary for our support…

We humbly entreat all tradesmen not to repine at the good disposition of Her sacred Majesty and of the Quality and the Gentry, but with great compassion join with them in their charitable disposition towards us, and with a cheerful readiness receive us at this juncture which we hope will be a means to redouble the blessings of God upon this nation.

Distressed Brethren
The Palatines" 

Queen Anne of Great Britain

Queen Anne's government had sympathy for the Protestant Germans and had invited them to go to the colonies and work in trade for passage. Official correspondence in British records shows a total of 13,146 refugees traveled down the Rhine and from Amsterdam to England in the summer of 1709. More than 3500 of these were returned from England either because they were Roman Catholic or at their own request. Henry Jones, quotes an entry in a churchbook by the Pastor of Dreieichenhain that states a total of 15,313 Germans left their villages in 1709 “for the so-called New America and, of course, Carolina.” The flood of immigration overwhelmed English resources. It resulted in major disruptions, overcrowding, famine, disease and the death of a thousand or more Palatines. It appeared the entire Palatinate would be emptied before a halt could be called to emigration. Many reasons have been given to explain why so many families left their homes for an unknown land: “(1) war devastation, (2) heavy taxation, (3) an extraordinarily severe winter, (4) religious quarrels, but not persecutions, (5) land hunger on the part of the elderly and desire for adventure on the part of the young, (6) liberal advertising by colonial proprietors, and finally (7) the benevolent and active cooperation of the British government.” 

No doubt the biggest impetus was the harsh, cold winter that preceded their departure. Birds froze in mid-air, casks of wine, livestock, whole vineyards were destroyed by the unremitting cold. With what little was left of their possessions, the refugees made their way on boats down the Rhine to Amsterdam, where they remained until the English government decided what to do about them. Ships were finally dispatched for them across the English Channel, and the Palatines arrived in London They waited longer while the British government considered its options. So many arrived that the government created a winter camp for them outside the city walls. A few were settled in England, a few more may have been sent to Jamaica and Nassau, but the greatest numbers were sent to Ireland, Carolina and especially, New York in the summer of 1710. They were obligated to work off their passage.

Cover of Rev. Kocherthal's "Golden Book"
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The Reverend Joshua Kocherthal presented a "Golden Book", which boasted about the fertile soil and low taxes in "The Carolinas", and paved the way in 1709, with a small group of fifty who settled in Newburgh, New York, on the banks of the Hudson River. “In the summer of 1710, a colony numbering 2,227 arrived in New York and were [later] located in five villages on either side of the Hudson, those upon the east side being designated as East Camp, and those upon the west, as West Camp.” A census of these villages on May 1, 1711 showed 1194 on the east side and 583 on the west side. The total number of families was 342 and 185, respectively. About 350 Palatines had remained in New York City, and some settled in New Jersey.

THE BANKS/PALATINE CONNECTION: Nicolaus Heitersbach made his initial appearance on the Hunter Lists 1 Jul 1710 with 1 pers. over 10 yrs and 2 persons under 10 in the household. The last entry for the family was 4 Oct 1710, other than the cumulative 24 Dec 1711 notation. Niclaus Heisterbach aged 53, Johan Jacob Heisterbach aged 4, and Christina Cath Heisterbach aged 10 were in NY City in 1710/11 (Palatines in NY City) He was married to Gertraudt GLADBACH on 9 Feb 1702 in O.Bieber (Niedervieber) Germany.

According to "The Palatine Families of New York" by Hank Z Jones 1985 pg 365, Johann Nicolaus (listed as son of the late Melchior Heisterbach-citizen at Bacherach from Nicolaus's marriage record) Nicholas Heistrebach, his wife, and 4 children were in the 3rd party of Palatines on Capt. Robbert Louren's ship in Holland in 1709 (Rotterdam Lists) Nicol Heisterbach aged 52, his wife, a sone aged 3, and daughtrers aged 7 & 5, who were in the 3rd arrivals in England later that year (London Lists)

Johann was referred to as a shoemaker, and later listed as a lone adult with two children under 10 in the 1710-1712 New York Subsistence List of Palatine "debtors" to the British crown. His son, Johan Jacob "Oysterbanks"was orphaned in 1711 and bonded to John Williams of Fairfield until age 17. In 1729, he was apprenticed to Joshua Jennings. He had a conveyance from Jennings as a reward for being faithful as his apprentice.